Rail anchor



l7, R. A THOMANN ET AL RAIL ANCHOR Filed Jan. 29, 1943 4 7 ZJ RflT/Zomann Patented Apr. 17, 1945 RAIL ANCHOR- Robert Andrew Thomann, Clayton, Mo., and Jacob Alvin Hyle, Detroit, Mich., assigno by mesne assignments, of fifteen per cent to Forbes National Bank, Pittsburgh, 'Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 29, 1943, Serial No.473.988

3 Claims.

This invention relates to rail anchors, and is an improvement over the rail anchors disclosed in Thomanns Patent Number 2,268,327, dated December 30, 1941, and his co-pending application, Serial Number 451,053, filed July 15, 1942.

An object of this invention is to provide a rail anchor which is formed with a base, a pair of clamping jaws, and an offset depending abutment or wing engageable with the cross tie below the tie plate.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rail anchor provided with a base, clamping jaws, 2. depending wing or abutment engageable with one side of a cross tie, and a laterally extending lug formed on the outer portion of the base for engagement with the' base flange of the railito hold the anchor against tilting or rocking.

With the foregoing objects in view, and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein is illustrated an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, modifications and variations may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a rail having an anchor constructed according to an embodiment of this invention mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of the ancho removed from the rail.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l designates generally a rail provided with a base flange H, which is mounted on a tie plate |2. The tie plate I2 is secured in a conventional manner to the upper side of a cross tie i3.

In order to provide means for anchoring'the rail ill with respect to the cross tie |3, we have provided a rail anchor which includes an elongated base portion or body It. The body It is adapted to be disposed below the base flange II, and is also adapted to extend below the tie plate l2. The base ll, at one end thereof, has formed integral therewith, a 'C-clamp, generally designated as IS. The C-clamp l5 includes a lower jaw l6 which is adapted to engage the lower side of the base flange An upper resilient jaw I1 is formed integral with the lower clamping jaw l6, and is connected to the lower jaw It by means of an arcuate connecting member l8. The opposite sides of the clamping jaw l1, and the connecting member I8,

are provided with grooves It in order to reduce the amount of metal necessary to constructthe jaw member IS. The jaw member H, on its lower side, is provided with a rail flange engaging face 20 which is inclined inwardly and upwardly with respect to the rail It, so that in applying the anchor to the rail Hi, the jaw I5 is adapted to be struck with a hammer or other tool and the rail engaging face 20 of the jaw I1 is adapted to ride upwardly over the inclined upper side of the base flange II and to tension the jaw IS on the base flange The base It, at the end thereof opposite from the jaw l5, has formed integral therewith a second clamping jaw 2|. The jaw 2| is adapted to engage the edge or side of the base flange ll, opposite from the jaw l5 when the anchor is in applied position. The jaw 2| is connected with the base It by means of a resilient connecting arm 22 which rises upwardly from the base It, and is provided at its upper outer portion with a flat face 23 engageable against the lower horizontal side 24 0! the rail flange I.

In Figure 3 it will be noted that the upper side 23 of the resilient arm 22 is in a horizontal plane, above the horizontal plane of the upper side of the'jaw It. With a construction of this kind when the jaw I6 is in applied position the arm 22 will be under tension so as to thereby retain the clamping jaw 2| in a clamping position against the opposite edge of the rail flange or base The base H of the rail anchor is maintained in'laterally offset position with respect to the adjacent side of the cross tie I3, by means of an inwardly projecting depending wing or plate 25. The wing 25, as shown in Figure 2, is of downwardly tapering configuration, being provided with a vertical inner side 26 and a downwardly and inwardly convergent outer side 21. This wing 25 is adapted to maintain the base II in laterally spaced relation with respect to the tie plate l2, and the cross tie l3. By providing a thin, downwardly tapering wing 25, the wing will serve as a cutting blade for cutting the frozen ground or roadbed under tramc conditions or under expansion and contraction of the rail.

In order to provide a means whereby the anchor is held against tilting or rocking in a direction lengthwise of the rail I0, under trailic or other conditions. we have provided a laterally projecting log 28 which is formed integral with the outer side of the jaw It. The lug 29 is provided with a flat upper side 29, co-planar with the upper side of the jaw It so that the lug 28 will contact at its upper side with the horizontal lower side 24 of the rail base II.

In the use and operation of this anchor, the device is applied to the rail by movement to the left, as viewed in Figure 1. The clamping jaw 2| is adapted to be engaged-beneath the lower horizontal side 24 of the base flange II, and the jaw I5 is struck with a. hammer or other tool so as to forcibly move the jaw I5 inwardly to the adjacent side of the rail flange H. When the anchor is in fully applied position the jaw 2| will assume the position shown in Figure l, and the resilient arm 22 connecting the jaw 2| with the base M will be under a tension so that the anchor will be locked on the rail It. In applied position the vertical side 26 of the depending wing will engage against the adjacent vertical side of the cross tie l3. The wing 25 will prevent the base I4 and the clamping jaws l5 and 2| from contacting with the tie plate I2, and the laterally projecting lug 28 will hold the anchor against tilting or rocking in a direction lengthwise of the rail Hi.

The anchor herein described is adapted to be made out of any suitable metal by forging, and is preferably constructed out of steel having a high carbon content thus providing the desired inherent resiliency to the anchor.

We claim:

1. A rail anchor comprising an elongated base for positioning beneath the base flange of a rail, an upwardly extending C-clamp formed integral with one end of the base and engageable over one edge of the base flange, a second clamp for engagement with the opposite edge of the base flange, a resilient arm shorter in length than said base connecting said second clamp with the opposite end of the base, said arm being upwardly inclined fro'm'the base, and a laterally projecting lug carried by the lower jaw of said O-clamp on the side thereof opposite from the rail tie and engageable with the lower side of said base flange for holding the anchor against tilting or rocking. and a depending-wing carried by said base and oifset inwardly therefrom to thereby hold said clamps and said base in laterally spaced relation with respect to a rail tie plate said wing having a relatively wide and flat inner side for contact with the adjacent face of a rail tie.

2. A rail anchor comp ing an elongated base for positioning beneath the base flange of a rail, an upwardly extending c-clamp formed integral with one end of the base and engageable over one edge of the base flange, a second clamp for engagement with the opposite edge of the base flange, a. resilient arm shorter in length than said base connecting said second clamp with the opposite end of the base, said arm being upwardly inclined from the base, a laterally projecting lug carried by the lower jaw of said c-clamp on the side thereof opposite from the rail tie and engageable with the lower side of said base flange for holding the anchor against tilting or rocking, a depending wing carried by said base and offset inwardly therefrom to thereby hold said clamps and said base in laterally spaced relation with respect to a rail tie plate, said wing having a vertical relatively wide and flat inner sideand a downwardly and inwardly inclined outer side thereby forming a ballast cutting blade.

3. A rail anchor comprising a base for positioning beneath the base flange of a rail, a pair of clamping members carried by said base, and means holding the anchor against tilting, said means extending laterally of one of said members and engaging the lower horizontal side of the base flange, said means formed integral with one of said clamping members on the side thereof opposite from the rail tie, and engageable with one face of the base flange.

ROBERT ANDREW THOMANN. JACOB ALVIN HYLE. 

